26 Comments

It's no fun being bit by a dog, and I speak from personal experience. That said, I don't consider it a "bite" unless the skin has been broken to the point of requiring stitches. There's a big difference between a nip and a bite. *********(paragraph)*********
This remarkable trend toward having dog companionship means that there are a great many novice dog owners out there. Dogs require obedience training. Or better yet: obedience education. This means the owners must learn and then pass that education onto their companion dogs. My advice: learn to read dogs, whether you like them or not. The reality is if you're dog averse, you're outnumbered and need to learn more about dogs or keep away from them the best you can. ***********I , for one, welcome this dog companion way of life. I believe it will translate into more humans enacting more compassion and humanity toward all of our fellow Earthlings.

Anyone who's so bereft of human company that they need to take a dog with them everywhere needsto examine that and correct it if possible. We evolved in groups. As for the biting, put a muzzle on the animal when you take it out of the house or there are people around inside. No excuses for scarring humans b/c some owner can't tell the difference between human and livestock--no matter how some blur the line.

You sure are nice with your words and such though if your a 57 model you might be going before me. I think that Chiwawa retired along time ago...Retire I have nothing to retire too no money, no love nothing that ought to make you feel better than me alittle more.

I have had dogs, usually more than one, all my life and never hauled them everywhere I went. Sure I walked them, took them trail riding with me or to the beach. People make crazy fools of pets sometimes, acting like they are their children or something. Not necessary to drag them downtown.

Let's be honest. Some dogs are genetically predisposed or behaviorally disturbed to bite. Alternatively to "putting down the biter" is for the owner to exercise extreme control over the dog and to never allow a situation where the dog could bite. That's pretty difficult to guarantee but possible. Why someone would want to keep such an animal as a "pet" is questionable. IF it is a behavioral issue, re-training and medication *might* work. Some people live with a constant barker. I don't understand how they put up with it. But biting is a different disorder. Unfortunately not all dogs are good pets and the owner needs to move on and try again.

According to the CDC 60% of all dog bites are children and according to Ilana Reisner DVM PHD and DACVB of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists less than 50% of their dog bites are provoked. So at least 30% are not provoked and if as seen as the norm in civil cases half of them being included in the remaining 40% of bite victims showing no provocation this 20% brings the total of unprovoked attacks... yep 50% which would leave provoked attacks closer to the other 50%.

Provoked or not, once a dog bites it should immediately be put down. Over the year's we have had dozens of dogs of all varieties (except pugs, Chihuahuas, and mini poodles). Of those, we put down 7 or 8 for biting. That's the humane thing to do with "biters" as we call them. Shame on anyone for keeping a biter as it will bite again no matter how "sweet" you think the biter is.

If you have had to put down 7 or 8 dogs for biting then maybe you shouldn't have dogs. Yes there are some that are not fixable, but basic training of having them under your control is for the safety of others as well as the dog.

this is what happens when people treat dogs like humans. WTH are you doing walking your dog on State Street. Isn't enough that we set aside dog parks, dog runs, dog beaches or the dog family preserve (Douglas). I hate going into restaurants, airplanes, home depot and every place else that owners feel compelled to take their pet animals. Isn't anyone else tired of dog crap on the beach??

Because walking for shopping and doing errands is a healthy activity and some dogs are well suited for that and can wait patiently outside.
People bring kids to inappropriate places or let them run wild in public places.
Last week at the opera 2 people brought kids under a year old. A little commen sense goes a long way for parents and dog owners.

Yes, if the dog has a known propensity to bite, then the owner is at fault. But, in some cases, there is no known propensity or pattern of aggression and the dog is simply responding to being provoked. Not saying that's what happened here, simply stating what can and does happen in many cases.

Roger - what does Against Medical Advice mean in this situation? Did the Dr. say not to press charges? Poor dog indeed! It's sad when a dog is provoked and acts like it is, an animal, and then gets put down for being a dog.

The victim at first decided against going to the hospital but changed their mind a few moments later and went anyway. I said Poor Dog because in 99.9 percent of dog bite cases the dog is provoked to bite. I don't know if that was the case here but said "Poor Dog" anyway is there a law against me saying "Poor Dog?" No so I said it...